1. Outbound
  2. News

Outbound News

Outbound x Star Birds Collab!



At Gamescom we met our new friends from Toukana Interactive and kurzgesagt - in a nutshell, the teams behind the recently released cozy asteroid resource manager Star Birds! We've teamed up with them to bring something really cool to you!

Freshly flown in for the Star Birds release, there’s now a special item for all indie lovers - drum roll, please! 🥁 - you can now unlock a minifigure of the iconic campervan from Outbound for the main menu in Star Birds.

To get it, simply click on the button with the gift icon 🎁 in the top right corner of the Star Birds main menu, then enter the code "outbound" in and hit the checkmark button.

Do you want us to add a free Star Birds cosmetic item in Outbound, too? Let us know in the comments what we should add as a thank you!

[h2]Get Star Birds on Steam[/h2]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2719750/Star_Birds/?utm_source=outbound&utm_campaign=crossnews

Dev Diary September 2025

[p]Hey Travelers![/p][p]We’re excited to share the very first entry in our Dev Diary series! Today, we’re diving into crafting and resourcing: the foundation of how you will begin your journey. [/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]From your very first steps, you’ll be foraging, gathering resources, and slowly building up the essentials that make your van more than just a ride. We like to think of the van not only as your mode of transportation, but also as your loyal companion: there with you from the very beginning, growing and evolving alongside your adventure.[/p][p][/p][p]Making the van your space, through crafting, customization, and a bit of elbow grease, is a huge part of what makes Outbound feel alive. We can’t wait to see how you’ll shape and personalize your own journey.[/p][p]

✨ This is just the start. We’ve got more dev diaries, sneak peeks, and VERY exciting news on the horizon, so stay tuned!

Want to hang out with us? Come join our Discord server!
[/p][p][/p][p]Want quick updates, behind-the-scenes looks, and sneak previews?
👉 Follow us on Twitter/X

Thanks for being part of the ride!
- The Outbound Team 🚐💨

[/p]

Tiny Demo Playtest - Apply now!

[p][/p][p][/p][p]You can apply now to playtest our Gamescom Demo![/p][p]https://discord.com/invite/HwBgTMr4WU[/p][p][/p][h2]Tiny Demo Playtest - Apply now![/h2][p]We want to run another Playtest for a tiiiiiiiny demo (only 25 minutes of gameplay) and we are looking for participants! Before heading to Gamescom in end of August, we are looking for some players to play our demo next week (and maybe the week after).[/p][p][/p][p]Please note that the demo that you will play is custom made for Gamescom and is very limited it its features. We did this, because we want as many players as possible to enjoy the demo at Gamescom and the limited available space. This means that this build will have:[/p]
  • [p]No multiplayer[/p]
  • [p]No building[/p]
  • [p]No save games[/p]
  • [p]Limited items[/p]
  • [p]Intentional faster progression[/p]
  • [p]Less than 30 minutes of content[/p]
  • [p]Shuts down after 25 minutes[/p]
[p][/p][p]Join our Discord to apply![/p][p]https://discord.com/invite/HwBgTMr4WU[/p]

Play Outbound at Gamescom!

[p][/p]
We will be at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany!
[h2]Meet us and play a free demo of Outbound on-site in Cologne, Germany from August 20-24.[/h2][p][/p][p]Many of our team members, including our developers, some of our artists, and Discord moderators will be there! Come by, say hi, and play a public demo of Outbound! Our booth will be located in hall 10.2 (more infos will follow)! For more amazing indie games, feel free to check out this year's Indie Arena Booth trailer! [/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][p]Please note that the demo will not be available online, you will have to be there in-person to play. We understand that many of you live far away and won't be able to attend Gamescom and we can promise you that there will be opportunities for you to try out a free demo in the future![/p]

Closed Alpha Start!



Outbound was part of today's Triple-I showcase and we announced the start of the Closed Alpha on April 14th!

The Closed Alpha is an early build of the game and we want to test mechanics and overall stability with a limited number of players. With a little bit of luck, you can also join! We start to regularly invite randomly selected newsletter subscribers to join the Alpha starting on April 14th!

Join the Alpha here

The Alpha contains the first playable biome and most of the features. We will use the Alpha to iron out bugs and to overall shape and polish the game based on player feedback.

If you are a Content Creator, you can apply for a key here if you meet the requirements.
Apply as Content Creator

Alpha Trailer!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

What is part of the Alpha?

We are happy to give you an overview of the current state of the game as well as features that are planned for the future!

[h2]The First Biome[/h2]
The Alpha offers the first biome for players to explore. The first biomes consists of lush forests, open plains, wide wheat fields, mountains, and more!


[h2]Playing together[/h2]
You can already play Outbound together with up to 4 players. You are sharing one vehicle and go together on a roadtrip! In contrast to singleplayer, multiplayer is in an experimental state since we are still encountering stability issues.


[h2]Building[/h2]
You can build workstations, furniture, and decorations inside your vehicle. With a certain vehicle upgrade, you can also build foundations and walls on top of it with our modular building system! You also have the option to set camp and build certain items next to the vehicle.


[h2]Scavenging and Crafting[/h2]
Outbound already offers a wide variety of materials that can be found and put into your vehicle. The vehicle functions as a handy shared inventory that all players can access (no need to build chests!). You can also transfer materials directly from the vehicle to any workstation to process them.


[h2]Finding new Blueprints[/h2]
While exploring the world of Outbound, you will come across various points of interest and signal towers. From these you are able to download blueprints to add to your workbench or build menu. Most of the signal towers will provide multiple options to choose from. The offered options can vary from player to player, so each playthrough should feel fresh and different. From time to time, old signal towers will provide a new signal, so you can go back and complete your blueprint collection.


[h2]Source Energy[/h2]
In the beginning, the vehicle uses a bio burner that can burn biodegradable resources to fuel the electric motor. When progressing the game you will be able to expand and ultimately replace the bio burner with solar and wind energy, building a fully sustainable energy solution for your vehicle.


[h2]Dynamic Environments[/h2]
Next to a dynamic day-night-cycle, Outbound also offers a dynamic weather system. Depending on the current conditions, the same location can feel very different and will be inhabited by different wildlife.


[h2]More Features![/h2]
These are also part of the alpha!
  • Player needs
  • Various craftable tools
  • Map and compass
  • Collectibles to find
  • Farming / cultivation
  • Cooking
  • Material processing
  • Vehicle and player upgrades
  • Some environmental puzzles and interactions


What is still in development

Outbound is still in development, therefore a couple of features are still missing, but are planned for the rest of the development time:
  • The dog companion
  • Character customization
  • Fishing
  • Bee keeping
  • More vehicle options to choose from
  • Vehicle needs
  • More biomes
  • The journal
  • Controller support
  • Language support
  • Accessibility options (and some other settings)
  • More materials, building pieces, workstations, etc.
  • and more!